Selection, Installation, and Maintenance of a Walk in Cooler

Select your new walk in cooler based on research, not emotion. Hold suppliers to the same high standards that your customers hold you! Insist on full and detailed walk in cooler specification sheets. Demand this information in writing and then compare features and presentations. You are making a long term investment in your business—don’t let your decision be swayed by emotion or high pressured sales techniques. Rely instead on facts and common sense when deciding where to purchase a walk in cooler!

Installation is critical to the proper performance and longevity of any walk in cooler or freezer and all its equipment. Relying on references from people you trust is the best place to start. Local restaurants are also a good source of information when searching for reputable service companies. This way, you can ensure your walk in cooler is installed properly.

Maintenance is the key to low repair bills and long equipment life for all walk in coolers; start a regular cleaning schedule! The condensing unit is the heart of your walk in cooler.  It is an assembly which contains the compressor, condensing coil, and condensing fan motor. It may be located on top of your walk in cooler, in a remote location, or even underneath, depending on your equipment. After locating the condensing unit in your walk in cooler, the actual cleaning process is fairly simple.

Once a month, shut the power off to the walk in cooler condensing unit. You can now safely vacuum all of the dust and debris which may have accumulated. Reversing the air flow of a shop-vac or using compressed air to blow dust away tends to be more effective than vacuuming the walk in cooler alone.

There is an evaporator fan assembly inside your walk in cooler that circulates the air and removes the heat. It also collects water and drains it away. This assembly should be cleaned and sanitized once a year. This will again require the power of the walk in cooler to be disconnected. Also, removing the drain pan allows further access to all components (they are easier to clean this way).

Regularly clean the inside and outside surfaces of your walk in cooler using detergent and water solutions. The interior of the cabinet can be sanitized with a mild solution of bleach and water during the monthly cleaning of the walk in cooler. Make sure that you also clean and inspect the walk in cooler door seals yearly. They should be pliable and make a tight seal against the cabinet.  If they should tear or become brittle with age, you should consider having them replaced.

The entire process can be considered a ‘do-it-yourself’ project, but it is never a bad idea to have a professional service company complete this procedure--they will also be able to perform a preventative maintenance check-up.

Once your walk in cooler has been properly set-up and put in service, further temperature adjustments should be unnecessary. Having to make adjustments to the temperature controls could be a signal that something is amiss, and may require a technician’s inspection. Do not to make adjustments to the walk in cooler’s controls to compensate for high use during holidays. Such adjustments can lead to freeze-ups when the equipment has had time to stabilize.

Lastly, sudden changes in the normal operating noises of your walk in cooler should be investigated and corrected promptly. Ignoring these signals could lead to more extensive damage to the various components of your walk in cooler (and consequently higher repair expenses). If any problems come up, do not hesitate to contact our service department at 1-800-521-0398 – we will be happy to assist you.

If appropriately cared for, SRC walk in cooler/freezer cabinets will easily outlast the buildings which house them.